Sua Majestade a Velocidade

What makes modern film buffs value hard-to-come-by silent films over others? Archaeologists do the same. They dig up items thrown in the trash ages ago and declare them ancient treasures. This might be the case with "The Speed Spook", a slap-dash conglomeration of plots with some intended and unintentional humor tossed in.

It was included in the film festival I attended and I wondered if it was included because it was valuable or just because it was old. There's not much plot to follow. A Race car driver is on tour and becomes mixed up in local politics and somehow feels a driverless car would be an attention-getting device during an election, and would put him in his new girlfriend's good graces.... oh, who cares. Suffice it to say it is alternately confusing and funny, but mostly the former.

Johnny Hines is funny and has a winning smile. Warner Richmond, 30's and 40's Western heavy, is the heavy here and adds substance to the proceedings. Long story short, if anyone out there is planning a film festival you might want to look elsewhere for a program filler. This film was shown in 16MM which is apparently the only way it is available. As previously stated, just because it is old doesn't make it valuable.